kindness, compassion & morality

The harsh truth about the status quo is that some people are being forced to endure awful and unnecessary suffering at the end of their lives. Every week, one person from the British Isles travels to Dignitas in Switzerland at a cost of roughly £10000. We are effectively outsourcing our compassion.

human rights

We believe that mentally competent adults should be able to make this extremely personal decision for themselves. Who is anyone to tell another that they must live on and suffer? As Stephen Hawking once said, "To keep someone alive against their wishes is surely the ultimate indignity."

there is a gap in the care system

It is a simple fact that even the best palliative care in the world cannot help everyone. Palliative care does nothing to help with issues such as autonomy. Many people experience only partial pain relief, and some receive no pain relief at all. Some people do not want palliative care but have no choice.

it's time

A growing number of jurisdictions around the world have recognised the problem and legalised assisted dying. Oregon, Washington State, Washington DC, Colorado, Montana, Vermont, Hawaii, Canada and Victoria in Australia have all legalised assisted dying. Oregon did so 20 year ago and there have been no cases of abuse.

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gavin st pier, guernsey chief minister

"Governments can choose to lead or they can choose to follow; either way, giving terminally ill individuals their right to informed end of life choices is inevitable"